MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Meeting with Players to Repair Relationship Post-Lockout

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred doesn't have the best reputation among the players, and that was especially exacerbated by the MLB lockout. But Manfred is reportedly working to repair his relationships around the league.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Manfred is actively meeting with players in an effort to improve his standing. He reportedly intends to meet with players from all 30 teams.

Manfred met with players from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, and he has also already met with players from the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals, per Rosenthal. Manfred has been joined by Raúl Ibañez during these meetings, as the former MLB outfielder is now the league’s senior vice president of on-field operations.

After the 99-day lockout ended, Manfred acknowledged that he had work to do to improve how the players view him. He said that he would prioritize finding a way to relate to them.

"I said the day we made the agreement that I thought it was important to have a better relationship between the players and our office," Manfred said Wednesday. "I think it’s a retail activity. You’ve got to go see people in person. It’s nothing more complicated than that."

Though early in the process, players have appreciated Manfred's efforts so far.

"I think those conversations are needed, quite frankly, for him to really get a good perspective of the way that the people playing the game on the field feel,” Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins told Rosenthal. “I hope there’s more. I really do. I assume that there’s going to be. I hope it lasts longer than a couple months after the lockout."

Manfred added that he wants to invite players to visit the league offices while they're in New York.

"I’m hoping players come and see what we do," Manfred said. "When you understand what somebody does, you understand them better."